Effects of war

The effects of war are widely spread and can be long-term or short-term. In the past decade, up to two million of those killed in armed conflicts were children. The trauma and suffering experienced by civilian populations are another consequence of these conflicts, contributing to emotional and psychological stress. Present-day internal wars generally take a larger toll on civilians than state wars. This is due to an increasing trend in which some combatants deliberately target civilians.

A state conflict is an armed conflict that occurs with the use of armed force between two parties, of which one is the government of a state. "The three problems posed by state conflict are the willingness of UN members, particularly the strongest member, to intervene; the structural ability of the UN to respond; and whether the traditional principles of peacekeeping should be applied to intra‐state conflict". Effects of war also include mass destruction of cities and have long lasting effects on a country's economy. Armed conflict has important indirect negative consequences on infrastructure, public health provision, and social order.